Returned Innocence
by Ruby Tyra
Summary: Before the group heads for the Tower, intent on rescuing their friend, Mithos foils their plans by returning an Innocence long forgotten. Warning: SPOILERS, a lot of them...
1. Prologue

_Author's Note: This story was inspired by a bonus chapter in the Tales of Symphonia manga. And it does contain **SPOILERS**_**. **_All future readers are forewarned. The story takes place before the group heads to the Tower of Salvation for the final time. (After the battle with Origin and the kidnapping)._

_Summary: Before the group heads for the Tower, intent on rescuing their friend, Mithos foils their plans by returning an Innocence long forgotten._

_**Disclaimers** I do not own own Tales of Symphonia. It belongs to its respective owner, the lucky one..._

**_Prologue_**

_He fell to the ground hard. Pain shot up his leg as he sat up, searching around him. He spotted a large figure in front of him, contorting in agony. What remained of its clothes were torn over its body, its green and yellow skin visible. It raised its large, clawed hand and brought it down inches from him. He stared at the monster, his heart pounding heavily in his chest. Even if he wanted to yell out, his voice failed him. Even if he wanted to move, it seemed as if he was rooted to the ground, unable to do anything. He felt tears fill his eyes and quickly overflow onto his cheeks. The monster lashed out at him once again and the tip of its claw made contact with his small body, sending him sprawling onto the ground several feet away._

_He sat back up with much difficulty, turning his head slowly towards the monster. His tears clouded part of his vision as he stared in horror at it. Suddenly, the pounding of footsteps echoed around him and men in armor burst through the tree line, swords drawn and ready to use against the monster. He watched as they were thrown aside as flies by the monster, blood dripping from its long claws and splattering around the clearing. However, some of the men were able to injure it before it took them out with another swipe. Once all the men were dead, strewed across the field, the monster headed once again towards him. He cried out in surprise and tried to back away. However, pain shot back up his leg reminding him of his injury. His leg throbbed and, after a moment, not being able to take it any longer, he collapsed on the ground, his tears unable stop. _Mom_…_



Lloyd Irving sat up in his bed, clinging tightly to his sheets. His breathing came in short, quick gasps as he tried to calm down. Cold sweat drenched his back as he closed his eyes, remembering all too clearly his nightmare. It was when his mother was turned into a monster and was killed. He stared at his hands, then at the exsphere attached to the top of the left hand. _Mom…_he thought, closing his eyes tightly. A lump was stuck in his throat, a remainder of his nightmare. His heart was still beating heavily against his chest as he counted in his head.

After a moment, he slowly opened his eyes and looked around the room. His companions had not noticed his waking and were still peacefully sleeping soundly, all except Genis. His childhood friend had been kidnapped by Mithos several days ago when the fallen angel's Cruxis Crytstal attached itself to the younger boy. The half-elf had disappeared, surely to Derris Karlan, the enemy's base.

Lloyd shook his head, trying to clear it. They were headed there and would reach the tower of Salvation, the entrance to the planet, the next day. However, that night, they had decided to spend it at Altessa's, several minutes from the tower. Knowing he would be unable to fall back to sleep any time soon, Lloyd got out of bed as quietly as possible and put his red jacket on, leaving it unbuttoned. He pulled on his red boots and grabbed his gloves and swords.

He tiptoed out of the room and crossed the main area towards the door. He looked back a moment, wondering if anyone heard him and decided to follow. No one did. He took a deep breath and opened the door and left quickly, not wanting the cold night air to enter the house. However, once he was outside, he buttoned his jacket in haste, the frosty wind biting into his exposed skin. Once he had pulled on his gloves and buckled his belts where dangled his swords, he started to walk away, wanting to clear his head.

His feet brought him further into the forest near the house as his mind wandered to the upcoming battle he and his friends would have to face – the one against Mithos. _Even if wanted to change the world to one without discrimination, he went at it the wrong way_, thought Lloyd as the light from the moon disappeared as he went deeper into the forest. _We're pretty much the same until there, until that decision, deciding what to do to achieve our wish._

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a faint rustling in the bushed nearby. His hand reached automatically for his sword as he stood perfectly still, waiting. His eyes darted around the area, wondering where the noise had come from exactly. After a moment, the rustling started again and a shadow moved across the bushes on Lloyd's right side. Unsheathing his swords without a sound, he faced the sound, ready to attack at any moment.

The shadow moved closer, tripping over the roots of the bushes. Once it reached a thin ray of moonlight, Lloyd gasped in surprise. He recognized his best friend's long silver hair and his grip on his swords loosened, letting them fall onto the ground.

"Genis!" breathed Lloyd, relieved, moving towards his friend.

"Lloyd," replied the half-elf softly.

However, before he reached Genis, several hands grabbed Lloyd violently making him fall backwards. He was pinned to the ground, two pairs of hands holding his arms and another imprisoning his legs. He tried to break free but he found that he could not. They dragged him further away from Genis and slammed him into a tree trunk, knocking the breath out of his lungs. He groaned as he looked up, wondering what was taking his friend so long to help him. However, once the half-elf approached, crossing another thin ray of light, Lloyd spotted an evil smirk on his face.

"No…," he whispered, realization hitting him.

"Yes, actually Lloyd," laughed Genis, his voice different from what it had been. "It has been a while, hasn't it?"

Lloyd tried to glare at Mithos but, by doing so, he was automatically glaring at his friend and he could not find the strength to do so. He may have been angry at some points with the younger boy but never to the point of staring at him with such hate and repulsion. He could not bring himself to do so, not after everything Genis had lived through.

"And I do know about your little plan on infiltrating Derris Karlan and fighting me, this is why I have decided to stop you. Oh, but I won't kill you," laughed Mithos, leaning close to Lloyd, "then your friends would come storming up the Tower. No, I plan on doing something more… fun."

The smile on his face sent chills down Lloyd's spine, too many thoughts passing through his mind at that moment to what Mithos would do. However, Genis reached into his pocket and pulled out a small vial of potion. The smile did not leave his lips as he opened it and brought it close to Lloyd's mouth.

The swordsman refused to open his mouth, making Mithos smile even more. He kicked him hard in the stomach, making Lloyd gasp in pain. Seizing the opportunity, the enemy emptied the content of the vial into the boy's mouth. Before Lloyd could just spit it out, Mithos forced his mouth closed and lifted his head, obligating him to swallow. After a moment, he could no longer breathe and gulped down the liquid.

The first sensation that passed through Lloyd's body was a sudden chill which was quickly replaced by a burst of heat. He felt his energy sap and the hands holding him down were released. He slumped further down the trunk of the tree, his vision clouding over.

"Have fun for the next few days Lloyd," laughed Mithos, turning around and walking away.

Before Lloyd could even think about going after his friend, an intense pain shot through his chest. He took a quick intake of breath, his vision darkening completely. A second later, another pain shot through, more powerful than the previous one. He yelled out in pain, his cry echoing throughout the forest, disturbing every living creature in it.

He lost consciousness before he even hit the cold ground.

_Author's Note: Oh! What will happen? Dum dum dum... Next chapter soon. Reviews are welcome and those who do will get a Lloyd plushie. Thank you!_


	2. Chapter 1: Returned Innocence

_Author's Note: Here is the next chapter! We get to find out what happens to Lloyd! What are you waiting for? Let's read!_

_**Disclaimers:** I do not own Tales of Symphonia_

_Enjoy!_

**Chapter One**

**Innocence Returned**

Zelos was the first of the group to awaken. He felt that something was wrong and sat up in his bed, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. He could make out the soft breathing of his companions around him, reassuring him slightly. However, his gut feeling told him something was wrong in this picture.

Once his eyes could make out the shapes around him, he quickly scanned each bed. However, once his attention landed on the last one next to him, he realized it was empty. The sheets were tossed aside and the person who had once occupied it was gone. _Lloyd…,_ he thought, flinging his sheets aside and getting up. He quickly pulled on his boots and strapped on his belt and sword, making his way hastily towards the door.

Normally, he would not worry this much about anything. However, seeing on how they had lost Genis to Mithos a few days ago, he was now even more anxious about the safety of his other friends. Especially Lloyd. The younger swordsman had become like a little brother to him and it would pain Zelos too much to think about if Lloyd was taken away from his life as his parents were, as well as his sister who hated him.

As Zelos wandered around the area surrounding Altessa's house, he tried to listen to any sound of footsteps nearby, any sign that Lloyd was still there. Nothing. There was nothing. Zelos took a deep breath and headed further into the forest.

"Lloyd! Lloyd! Are you there Bud?" he called towards the maze of trees, entering it slowly.

He took a few more steps and looked around, worried. He called out a couple of more times before he heard footsteps. He pulled out his sword quickly and silently, whirling around to face the sound. He exhaled when he saw who it was: his friends.

"Zelos? Where is Lloyd?" asked Raine, stifling a yawn.

"That's what I would like to know," replied the swordsman, scanning the area again, sheathing his sword.

"What?" gasped Colette, now fully awake, as were the others.

"We have to go find him now!" ordered Sheena, making her way towards the forest.

The others followed closely, the summoner and Zelos in the lead. They were walking for a while when Colette's and Zelos' ears picked up some sounds. They motioned for the others to stop while they tried to figure out where the noise was coming from. A moment passed until a piercing yell cut through the night, disturbing everything around them.

Before anyone had time to react, Zelos was already bounding towards the sound. His heart had clenched and his mind had gone blank. All he could think about was running as fast as possible towards the yell. He knew deep down that it was Lloyd's, he had heard it before and each time, his stomach tied in a knot and his heart clenched. _Please be alright, please be alright,_ thought Zelos as he ducked under branches and jumped over roots, heading towards his friend.

Zelos burst into a clearing, out of breath. Since it was still dark, he could not make out the details of the area. However, he did spot a small lump at the base of a tree and approached it. Kneeling next to it, he tried to figure out what it was exactly. Once the clouds moved away from the moon, its rays illuminated the clearing and what Zelos was looking at it.

"What…?" gasped the swordsman, losing balance and falling completely to his knees.

In front of him lay a small boy of about three years old. His short, spiky brown hair was falling over his small, innocent, round face. His red shirt and his black shorts were filthy. The boy's knees were scratched and so were his tiny hands. His face, however, was scrunched, as if he was in pain or scared.

"Lloyd?" whispered Zelos, reaching out and lightly pushing the hair out of the boy's face.

The small boy groaned and slowly opened his large chocolate eyes. He stared at the ground for a moment before looking around, slowly pushing himself up. Once he was sitting, he finally noticed Zelos kneeling in front of him. His mouth fell open as he stared at the man.

After a moment, the others burst into the clearing, all of them spotting Zelos. Before they could ask what was happening, they spotted Lloyd. However, the small boy also spotted them. His eyes filled with tears and, if possible, his mouth hung more open. Without warning, tears rolled down his face.

"Mommy! Daddy!" he cried, backing away awkwardly from the group.

"Lloyd? Is that you?" asked Sheena, approaching her friend.

"How do you know my name?" yelled the toddler, even more scared. "Mommy! Daddy!"

"Lloyd, please calm down," whispered Colette, kneeling next to him.

He yelled out, getting up quickly, his eyes closed. However, he tripped and fell. He slowly got back up on his knees, looking at his scratched hands. He stared at them, tears streaming down his face. He clenched his fists, holding them closely to his chest.

"Mommy… Daddy… I'm scared…," he whispered to himself.

Suddenly, there was rustling in the bushes nearby. Lloyd yelled out in surprise as a dark shape came out. However, it headed straight for the small boy. Once it crossed a strip of moonlight, the group recognized the creature that had been with Lloyd since the very beginning.

"Noishe…? Noishe!" cried Lloyd happily as the dog headed over to him.

Noishe buried his head in the boy's chest as Lloyd hugged him tightly. The tears slowly stopped as he buried his face in the animal's soft fur.

Meanwhile, from where Zelos had stayed, his spotted a small, round, light blue gem where Lloyd used to lay. He slowly picked it up and studied it. _It's Lloyd's exsphere…,_ he thought, looking back at the boy. Also, along with the exsphere, there were two swords laid out side by side. _Lloyd's as well,_ thought the red head, watching his friend. The youngster had returned his attention towards the large group, watching them as he hid partially behind Noishe.

"Who are you?" he asked quietly.

"We're…," started Raine, looking at the group, "We're here to help you Lloyd."

"Help?" he repeated, staring at them.

"Yes, we'll help you find your father," explained Sheena, catching on.

"Really?"

"Yes, really," agreed Colette happily.

They watched as his eyes grew larger, his quivering mouth turning into a smile. His grip loosened around Noishe's neck and they both approached the group. However, a few feet away, Lloyd slowed down slightly, still a little scared. It was a small nudge from the animal which made him close the gap with the group, a foot away from the closest member.

"Let's go Lloyd," whispered Zelos, getting up from his kneeling position on the ground, holding out his hand.

Lloyd stared at the outstretched hand, still cautious. However, he held on to Noishe more tightly as the animal pushed the small boy onto its back. Noishe barked softly, motioning for the group to head back towards Altessa's house.



Once the group made it back to the house, Lloyd was slowly drifting off into sleep. Noishe stopped at the door, knowing all too well that it could not enter the house with the others. They looked at each other, trying to figure out who would bring the boy in since he did not seem to trust any of them.

After a moment, Zelos stepped forward and stroked Lloyd's hair lightly, making the boy stir. He blinked a few times, his large chocolate eyes full of sleep.

"Daddy…?" he whispered, looking around.

"No, but we will get you to him, I promise," replied Zelos softly, keeping his hand lightly on the boy's head.

Lloyd stared at the red head and, after a moment, nodded. The swordsman smiled warmly and gently picked the youngster up and made his way towards inside. The others followed though waited in the main area as Zelos brought Lloyd into the bedroom.

It felt a little awkward for the red head to, not only be carrying a small child like this, but to have it be his best friend as well. Also, the look in Lloyd's eyes while he was staring at them made Zelos' heart clench – there was so much fear and uncertainty in them, contrary to the boy's look the red head knew.

He placed the small child onto one of the beds and tucked him in. Zelos ruffled his hair slightly, smiling.

"Sleep well Lloyd," he whispered, walking away quietly.

"Daddy… Mommy..."

The sound was barely audible and if not for his enhanced hearing, Zelos was sure he would not have been able to hear it. He looked back at Lloyd as the child curled up, a small smile on his face. _The faster we get him to his father, the better. He would know how to deal with the toddler,_ thought Zelos, leaving the room and joining the others.

They were all sitting at the table and, once the red head had entered, they became quiet. Zelos took a seat at the table, glancing one last time towards the room where he had left Lloyd.

"So, I think it's clear what we have to do," stated Raine, breaking the silence.

"Yes, but after we bring him to his father, what will happen afterwards?" asked Regal.

"How can we change him back?" asked Colette, worry sounding in her voice.

"That, we will have to figure out soon. He's vulnerable in this state and he has more chances of getting hurt or going missing," explained Raine, trying to figure something out.

"And I hope when he comes back to normal, he remembers us," whispered Sheena, recalling Lloyd's reaction when he saw them.

They sat in silence, all pondering on their own on what they could do. No one really knew how long they sat there, deep in contemplation and worry. The sun was slowly creeping up the horizon before any of them actually decided to move. Now that there was light, they all decided it was safer to fly towards their destination.

"Zelos, go wake Lloyd up. He seems to trust you more than us," explained Raine, packing their bags and heading outside.

Zelos nodded and headed towards the room. It was only half true what the Professor had stated. Lloyd's trust was at its minimal and it was just slightly higher for the red head since he was the one who tried to talk to the small child the most. It was not because Lloyd wanted to place more trust in the swordsman than the others. _Please Lloyd, I hope you find your old self soon,_ thought Zelos, entering the room and heading towards the bed, still lost in thought.

He was about to pull the sheets back to wake the child when he gasped in surprise. The sheets were tossed aside and the bed was empty. Zelos looked around the room and spotted the curtains moving with the wind. He rushed to the window and pulled away the fabric, revealing the open window. He stared out of it, in shock. His foot then hit a small, wooden box, placed next to the window. _He left! Oh thank the Goddess he was not kidnapped!_ He thought, running outside.

He burst through the door, surprising all his friends.

"Lloyd is gone!" he yelled. "He left!"

* * *

_Author's Note: Well, what did you think? A Zelos plushie in exchange for your thoughts! Review Please!_


	3. Chapter 2: Reencounter

_Author's Note: Wow... either I'm not original or my readers are psychic. Either way, we'll see who finds our little Lloyd! To the next chapter!_

_**Disclaimers:** I do not own TAles of Symphonia._

_Enjoy!_

**Chapter Two**

**Reencounter**

A little while before dawn, Lloyd woke from his slumber. He rubbed his tired eyes and looked around, not recognizing the room. Tears started to fill his eyes as he quickly tossed the sheets aside and jumped down from the bed. He went towards the door and peered out.

He spotted several adults gathered around a table, none of them talking. Silence reigned over the area as Lloyd watched them, remembering them from the forest. However, none of them seem to notice the small boy's presence at the doorway and it suited Lloyd just fine. He did not want them to notice him, to surround him once again.

He returned to the room as quietly as possible and looked around once again. _I want to see Daddy and Mommy, _he thought sadly. _I have to leave here, to find them._ He spotted a small wooden box near a wall and then a large window. He scurried over to the box and started pushing it, trying not to make any noise to alert the adults in the other room. Once the box was close enough, he climbed on top of it and, on his toes, he reached for the latch of the window.

It took him a while to be able to grab it, his tiny fingers brushing the metal from time to time. However, he tried to jump and he was able to grip it and pull it down. The window swung open and the cold night air entered the room, blowing at the curtains.

Lloyd looked around before climbing onto the windowsill. He stared at the drop from the ledge to the ground and gulped. _Daddy… I have to be strong and brave like him._ He sat on the ledge, his small feet dangling in the air. He counted to three and pushed himself off.

He reached the ground and then fell to his knees. They were slightly scratched but Lloyd did not care anymore – he wanted to find his parents first. He took one last look towards the house before running off into the forest, determined to find them.



The sun was slowly rising in the horizon and Lloyd was deep inside the forest. He had been running at first, calling out for his parents but he quickly got tired. His feet started dragging and his stomach growled loudly, constantly reminding him that he was very hungry.

"Daddy! Mommy!" he called out once again, tears streaming down his face.

For Lloyd, it had been a very long time since he started searching and desperation was setting in. He wanted to find his parents but he could not do so, he could find them.

"Daddy… Mommy…," he whispered, his voice weak. "I miss you… Why won't you come? Where are you?"

Suddenly, the bushes near the small boy rustled, scaring him. He backed away, his voice gone. He was too frightened to even cry out. The bushes moved once again and two large bears came out. Lloyd's eyes widened and his mouth opened though no sound came out. The animals approached him, circling. The boy's heart raced in fear and tears continued to fall. _Mommy… Daddy… Help… Please… Please…_

The bears continued to circle him, their mouths hanging open, saliva spilling from it. Their eyes were locked on Lloyd, filled with hunger. The boy shook in fear, his breath coming short and fast. Suddenly, one of the bears lunged at the boy. Lloyd cried out and closed his eyes.

However, Lloyd never felt an attack on him but heard the bear howl in pain. He opened his eyes to see it blasted away, electricity coursing through its body. The other bear seized the opportunity to try and reach Lloyd first. The boy cried out once again but a figure jumped in front of him, light bouncing off his large weapon.

Lloyd stared in shock as the person swiped at the bear, the weapon cutting deeply into the animal's side. With another swift movement, the person brought the blade down, killing the animal. Even as blood sprayed across the area near the bear, the person did not seem preoccupied by it.

He raised his right hand to the side. Lloyd followed the direction and spotted the other bear charging towards them. He yelled out, scared. It reminded him of the times where his parents and himself had run into hoards of monsters and it always scared him.

"Daddy!" he yelled out of instinct since it was usually him who saved the boy and his mother.

The person looked back momentarily, slightly surprised by the outburst. However, an electric sphere formed in his hand and, when the bear was about to lunge at them, the ball shot towards it. The wind around them was moved, blowing at Lloyd's spiky hair and the person's long hair and cape. The courant passed through the animal's body and it fell to the floor.

Lloyd stared at the bear, his eyes wide while tears slowly started to stop. He looked back at the person who saved him. The weapon disappeared from his hand but his back was still turned to Lloyd. _Daddy…?_ thought the boy, an image of his father playing across his mind. However, when the person turned, Lloyd's hopes were shot down – it was not his father.

"And we're did you come from?" he asked, kneeling in front of the boy.

Lloyd stared into the man's dark green eyes, still slightly shaken from the attack. The boy then studied the person who had saved him. He had long, smooth, blue hair tied in a ponytail. His cape covered most of his body but Lloyd could make out gold, black and red armor underneath with a white shirt and loose pants.

"Have I seen you before?" he asked, studying the boy in front of him. "You look familiar."

"I don't think so…," whispered Lloyd, his breathing slowly returning to normal.

"Wait… Ll…?" the man stared at the child, noticing the resemblance. However, he decided to wait and see if it was true or not. "And what we're you doing in the forest all by yourself?"

"I was looking for Mommy and Daddy," he replied softly, looking around. "Do you know we're they are?"

"I think I have an idea but…,"

"Where? Where are they?" asked the boy, his eyes filling with tears. "Pleas tell me! I want to see them again! Please!"

"Wait, don't start crying, I…," he started but it was too late – Lloyd was already shedding crocodile tears once again. "Oh no… Um… It will be all right… Stop crying… Really stop… Pl… Please?"

Lloyd looked up at the man and noticed how difficult it was for him. The boy's tears slowly stopped but it was because he was staring at the man in front of him. It was weird for Lloyd to see someone act like that and it made him curious. In a way, it reminded him of his father at some points when he did not know what to do either.

"Oh good, you stopped…," he whispered, relieved thought wondering what to do now. "Um… were there not others with you before?"

Lloyd nodded, looking away. The man sat in front of the child, wondering what else he could do. _It's probably best I bring him to his friends. I don't want them to think I kidnapped him,_ he thought, making up his mind.

"Well, why don't I bring you back to them and we can all go search for your parents together?" he asked, looking at Lloyd.

"Really?"

"Really. Come now, let's go. My name is Yuan by the way."

"Lloyd."

Yuan nodded and got up, waiting for the child to do the same. However, once he did, Lloyd swayed, his legs not strong enough to support him. He leaned towards Yuan who, by instinct, reached out to stop him from falling. _Oh no… Does this mean I have to carry him?_ Thought the adult, feeling a little awkward. He looked down at the tired boy and exhaled. _Why me?_

Yuan bent down and picked Lloyd up gently. With ease, the half-elf lifted him and started to walk in direction he had seen the boy come from. Lloyd was initially shocked and then relaxed, the gesture reminding him of his father. He leaned into Yuan's shoulder and closed his eyes.

The half-elf stared at the boy in surprise, not knowing what to do. However, Lloyd slowly drifted off to sleep, holding on tightly to Yuan's cape. _What happened to him? How did he change into a three year old?_ Thought the half-elf as he walked in silence through the forest, searching for any signs of Lloyd's friends.

_Author's Note: Well? Like it? If you do, why not review and get a **Yuan** plushie at the same time?_


	4. Chapter 3: Trust&Protect

_Author's Note: Here is the next chapter! Hurray! _

_**Disclaimers:** I do not own Tales of Symphonia, sadly..._

_Enjoy!_

**Chapter Three**

**Trust&Protect**

"Lloyd! Lloyd, where are you? Lloyd!"

The group was desperately searching through the forest for any signs of there missing friend. They had split up into pairs, each of them heading in a different direction. They had decided that they would meet up later, in front of Altessa's house, if they found him or not. If none of the groups had found him, they would think of another plan. Though, all of them hoped not to come to that point. The pairs were Colette and Sheena; Presea and Regal; and Raine and Zelos, with Noishe following the last group.

"Lloyd! Lloyd! Where are you?" called Raine as she and Zelos searched the area near Ozette.

"Lloyd!" continued Zelos, looking desperately around.

Suddenly, he heard footsteps to his right. He motioned for Raine to stop yelling as they waited. Zelos approached the sound quietly, his hand on his hilt. _Please let it be Lloyd, please, _he thought, his grip tightening. After a moment, the low branches were parted and someone stepped into the sunlight.

"Yuan!" called both Zelos and Raine in shock.

"Will both of you be quiet," he hissed, sounding a little annoyed.

They were about to retort but they then spotted the small form in the half-elf's arms: Lloyd. He was still sleeping soundly, his grip on Yuan's cape seeming tighter than before. They both approached the half-elf and child, relieved that they had found him.

"What happened? Where did you find him?" asked Raine softly, not wanting to wake the child.

"He was about to be attacked by two bears," replied Yuan just as softly, repositioning the arm that was holding Lloyd into a more comfortable position. "I fought them off and decided to bring him back to all of you."

"Thank you," whispered Raine, grateful.

"Ya, thanks," added Zelos, watching Lloyd sleep.

"By the way, can one of you take him, I still feel awkward holding him," explained Yuan, looking down at the boy who seemed to cuddle even closer.

"I don't think he would take too kindly to us moving him," explained Raine, a small smile at her lips.

"What are you smiling about?" asked Yuan, frowning.

"You do have a way with children," laughed the Professor, starting to walk back towards Altessa's house. "You should hold on to him for now."

"This is not funny Raine," whispered the half-elf angrily, catching up with her.

Zelos watched the two as she got on his nerves. He smiled as well since they reminded him of an old married couple, especially with Lloyd in Yuan's arms. He looked down at Noishe who whined and pointed in the half-elves' direction. Zelos nodded and walked quickly towards the two of them, keeping slightly back to avoid entering their discussion.

Suddenly, the small group was surrounded by a large pack of thieves. Raine immediately reached for her staff, Yuan materialized his Swallow, his double edged staff, and Zelos pulled out his sword. The three of them backed up into a small circle, glaring at the men who had surrounded them.

"This must be our lucky day," laughed one of the bandits. "This group looks pretty rich!"

"And there is one fine lady with them," added another one, eyeing Raine hungrily.

"Don't even think about it," shouted Yuan and Zelos, glaring at all of them.

"Oh, we're thinking all right and soon, we'll be doing," laughed the first one.

That acted as a sort of signal and the bandits lunged towards the small group. Yuan and Zelos both tried to protect Raine since she was starting to cast spells to help them. However, it was becoming very hard for Yuan to keep every enemy at bay. He could only use one arm to swing his large weapon while the other tried to hold onto Lloyd. Meanwhile, the child was shaken awake from the constant moving and yelled out when he spotted all the enemies. He clung to Yuan's cape even tighter, trying to hide by burying his head into the half-elf's shoulder.

Then it happened. Three thieves ganged up on Yuan. Two of them went in to attack with their dagger and sword. The half-elf tried to knock them back with his Swallow, though it was hard with only one hand. However, the third thief, behind the half-elf, cocked an arrow and shot it towards Yuan. He did not notice it until it was too late. It embedded itself in the back of his shoulder, making him yell out.

The bandit's aim was true and he had shot that area on purpose: it was the shoulder of the arm that held on to Lloyd. The pain was too great that he lost control of his arm and Lloyd fell from his grasp, hitting the floor. The child yelled out, scared that he was now surrounded by people who wanted to hurt him.

Yuan tried to stay near Lloyd and protect him but the bandits pushed him away with their attacks. The child cried out to him, too scared to move. One of the bandits seized this opportunity and tried to hit the boy. Lloyd yelled out when he saw a blade head in his direction.

However, it hit metal and fell to the floor. The boy looked up and spotted Yuan breathing heavily, another cut running across his arm as he lifted his Swallow, pointing back towards the enemies. The half-elf had freed himself from a smaller group of thieves to block the attack, receiving another cut while escaping.

Lloyd watched as the half-elf fought off enemies, his mouth hanging open. _He saved me again… Just like Daddy did… He saved me…,_ he thought, flashed of his father crossing his mind.

"Lloyd!"

The child cried out as someone lifted him off the ground quickly. Lloyd watched as where he used to be was now replaced by a large, blunt blade, swung deeply into the ground. He yelled out, scared and turned to see who had picked him up: Zelos. The swordsman was now backing away, blocking attacks from the bandits.

"Hold on tight bud, I won't let them hurt you," whispered Zelos to the child, swiping at a nearby enemy.

Lloyd followed the swordsman's request and wrapped his arms around his neck, burying his head at the collarbone. The child closed his eyes tightly, feeling Zelos moved around quickly, taking down the enemies.



"Lloyd, it's all right, open your eyes. The bad guys are gone," whispered a voice near him.

Lloyd slowly opened his eyes, removing his head from the crook of Zelos' neck. He looked around the area but he could not see anyone else but the red head, Raine, Yuan and Noishe. He looked back at Zelos and noticed he was sitting down, leaning on a tree trunk.

"Are you okay?" asked Lloyd softly, worried.

"What…?" wondered Zelos, surprised by the question. "Of course Lloyd, I'm perfectly all right."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course. Believe me, okay?"

"Okay," agreed Lloyd, nodding his head, making Zelos smile. "Thank you."

"You're welcome bud."

The child then looked back towards the two half-elves. Raine was kneeling next to Yuan, her staff passing over his shoulder, glowing softly. Lloyd looked back at Zelos and then at Yuan, his eyes filled with worry. He hopped off the red head and headed towards the hurt half-elf.

He stopped in front of him, not knowing exactly what to say. He played with the front of his shirt, biting his lips. Yuan looked up at the boy, surprised to see him like this. Raine also watched silently as she continued to heal the wound.

"What is it Lloyd?" he asked, giving the boy some confidence.

"Thank you Yuan," he whispered, looking up at the surprised man.

"It was nothing Lloyd. I'm glad you're safe," replied the half-elf, smiling.

Lloyd smiled back at him and, surprising the others, walked up and wrapped his arms around Yuan's neck, hugging him. Once he let go, the half-elf was still staring at the boy in shock as he went to Raine and Zelos and did the same thing. Once he released the red head, he sat on his lap, watching as Raine finished healing Yuan.

"Hey Lloyd, once they're finished, we can go meet the others and we'll go see your dad. How does that sound?" asked Zelos, playing with Lloyd's hair.

"Yay! Daddy!" cheered the child as Zelos picked him up

On the way back to the house, Lloyd's attention was everywhere. He was looking around, absorbing every detail of his surroundings. Then his attention turned towards Zelos' long, red hair. He twirled it around his tiny fingers, pulling it at times as well.

"It's long like Yuan's," commented Lloyd after a moment, pointing at the half-elf's long ponytail as he and Raine were talking up ahead.

"Hey Lloyd, I have an idea," started Zelos, grinning. "Why don't you call him Uncle Yuan?"

"What's an Uncle?" wondered the child, uncertainty and curiosity in his eyes.

"Well… An Uncle is someone who… protects you when your parents are not around," explained Zelos, coming up with a justification that would fit Yuan's situation.

"Oh!" cheered Lloyd, looking back at the half-elf and then at Zelos. "Then I can call you Uncle Zelos!"

The red head was taken aback by the name. No one had ever considered him like that. No one thought he could protect anyone but himself. Lloyd just proved his reality wrong. And it was true; Zelos did want to protect the brunette since he was like a brother to him. He smiled at the child and nodded.

"Yes, you can," he replied, earning a cheer from the young boy.

"Thank you Uncle Zelos," he repeated happily.

"You're welcome. But don't forget Yuan, you would not want to forget him."

"Yes!" recalled Lloyd, turning towards the half-elf. "Thank you Uncle Yuan!" he called loudly.

Yuan stopped dead in his tracks and in mid-sentence, shocked by the name. He turned around and saw a smiling Lloyd, clinging to an equally smiling Zelos. _Damn that Chosen, _he thought, rolling his eyes.

"You don't have to call me that Lloyd," he replied as the two approached.

"I can't?" he repeated, seeming sad.

Yuan stared into those large, chocolate eyes and sighed in defeat. The child looked too innocent to refuse anything to him.

"Yes, you can call me that," he replied, giving in and embarrassed.

"Yay! Thanks Uncle Yuan!" called Lloyd, making the two other adults laugh out loud.

_Author's Note: Did you like it? Even if you didn't, click the little button right underneath and review please! This time, you can get a Raine plushie!_


	5. Chapter 4: Home

_Author's note: Here is the next chapter! And for all of you who have been patiently waiting for a purple cladded swordsman to arrive, well, he's here! Hurray!_

_**Disclaimers:** I do not own Tales of Symphonia_

_Enjoy!_

**Chapter Four**

**Home**

At the designated time, the two groups were already at Altessa's house, waiting for the last one: Zelos and Raine. The four friends were not successful in their search and they hoped that the two others had found Lloyd.

"Where are they? This is taking them longer than expected," sighed Sheena, pacing in front of the house.

"Please relax Sheena," pleaded Colette, nervous. "I'm sure they'll show up soon."

"I hope so too," replied the Summoner. "It's just that I don't want them to go missing as well on top of everything else."

"They will be back," reassured Presea in her monotone voice.

"We should just have faith in them," added Regal, leaning against the wall, waiting.

Sheena sighed in frustration and continued pacing. Colette played with her long hair, looking around. Presea sat on the ground, her back against the wall. Finally, Regal had not moved from his spot against the wall, next to the young girl.

Suddenly, they heard footsteps approach and they all turned their attention towards them. They waited near the house for the owners of the steps to make their appearance.

They did not wait long before Noishe came into the clearing, followed by Raine, Yuan and then Zelos with Lloyd in his arms. The group was at first surprised to see Yuan 

but cheered once they spotted Lloyd. They rushed to the red head's side, making Lloyd hold on tighter to Zelos' neck.

"Uncle Zelos, who are they?" he asked quietly, motioning to the four friends.

"They're going to help us, Lloyd. You can trust them as well," replied the red head, reassuringly.

"Okay…"

"So, he," started Zelos, pointing towards the light blue haired man, "is Regal. The little one is Presea. The blond girl is Colette and the taller one is Sheena. They'll be coming with Raine, Uncle Yuan and us to see your father."

"Okay…," replied Lloyd softly, smiling shyly at the four of them.

"But wait," started Sheena, surprised. "Where did this 'Uncle Yuan' come from? And why is he here in the first place?"

At the mention of the surname, the half-elf sighed in frustration. He did not face the others as they started laughing, quietly at first and then harder. It was not only the reaction of the man but also that they would never have imagined someone actually calling him that. He did not look like an 'Uncle' and surely did not act like one in their eyes.

"All right, that's enough laughing," he growled, glaring at them. "Now I think it would be best to head to wherever his father is."

"That would be Dirk's house," replied Raine, reaching into her pocket for her Wing Pack.

"In Sylvarant," added Yuan, realizing what that meant.

"So, Lloyd will fly with whom?" asked Sheena as Raine opened the pack and seven Rheihards formed in front of them.

"Fly?" repeated the child, his eyes wide. "With Uncle Zelos! I want to be with him!"

"I think it would be best if someone else takes him," suggested Sheena. "You may drop him."

"That's mean Sheena, you know that," commented the red head, looking away.

"Then Uncle Yuan!" called Lloyd, reaching out for him.

The half-elf was taken aback by the child's idea and was about to protest to it. However, he saw the look Lloyd was giving him – a puppy dog look with his large chocolate eyes – and he could not disagree with the boy's demands.

"Fine, I was going to leave but I guess I'll have to follow all of you," he explained, approaching Zelos and Lloyd and picking the boy up.

"Thanks Uncle Yuan," whispered the child, holding on tightly to the man.

"Don't mention it," he replied, following the others as they mounted a Rheihard.

"To Dirk's house!" cheered Colette as they took off into the sky.

Lloyd yelled out in surprise as they flew higher. He felt Yuan's arm around him tighten instantly and it reassured him. He watched as the others flew around them, their clothes and hair caught in the wind. After a while, Lloyd started to enjoy himself and laughed loudly, pointing at anything he saw on the ground below.

Yuan, as he drove the machine, kept watch on the child. After a while, he started to smile at Lloyd's antics, not used to it at all. It was still hard for him to imagine that the 17 year old that he knew was now the three year old sitting in front of him. As Lloyd continued to point to landmarks and laugh, it made Yuan laugh as well. _Now I know how he must have felt when he was raising the boy,_ thought the half-elf as they neared the Renegade base and the dimensional transport. _But will he be all right seeing his son like this again?_



Once they reached Dirk's house, they landed in front of it and disembarked from their Rheihards. Lloyd hugged Yuan before jumping off and ran towards Zelos, asking him to pick him up once again.

"Aw! I knew you liked me bud!" cheered the red head, reaching for the boy and throwing him into to the air.

Lloyd laughed loudly as Zelos caught him once again. The group smiled at the sight before they headed towards the door. Raine knocked and a gruff voice beckoned them to come in. She opened the door and the group entered, Zelos and Lloyd coming in last.

"What are all of you doing here again?" asked the dwarf as he came to greet them. "I thought you were going to go save Genis and defeat the bad guy."

"We have a little problem Dirk," explained Raine, pointing towards the back of the group.

Dirk was puzzled as the group moved away to reveal a small Lloyd in Zelos' arms. Dirk opened his mouth, in shock. However, he eyed the others and shook off the surprise, smiling at the small child.

"It's good to see you," he replied, waving.

"Dirk? Who's there?" called a voice from the second floor as the group heard footsteps coming down slowly.

Lloyd gasped, recognizing the voice. He wiggled in Zelos' hold, trying to get down. The red head lowered him quickly before the child fell out of his arms. Lloyd ran through the others and towards the stairs.

"Daddy!"

Kratos was now at the bottom and when he heard the call, stopped in his tracks. He spotted his three year old son run towards him and his knees gave away. He knelt down and Lloyd jumped into his arms, tears in his eyes. The child cried in happiness as he wrapped his small arms around his father's neck.

Kratos stared at the small form, tears starting to form. He held on tightly to his son, wishing he never had to let go ever again. He then looked at the group, his eyes showing his puzzlement and the thousands of questions he was dying to ask.

"Daddy! They were right, they did bring me to you!" cheered Lloyd, releasing his grip slightly to back away and look at his father in the eye.

"Who said that?" he asked with a smile.

"Uncle Yuan and Uncle Zelos!" replied the child happily, pointing to the two mentioned men.

"Uncle?"

"Yes, Uncle Zelos said that an Uncle is someone who protects you when you aren't there. And both of them did! And Raine helped as well! She took care of Uncle Yuan's booboos afterwards!"

The group snickered at Lloyd's revelation, all of them staring at the embarrassed half-elf, as he covered his face. Even Kratos chuckled as he lifted his son and joined the group as they took a seat at the small table, Lloyd sitting on his father's lap.

"Is anyone hungry?" asked Dirk, coming with a plate of snacks.

Lloyd's eyes lit up and he reached for one of them. However, his short arm could not reach the plate. He tried to stretch even further but his fingers came up short from the closest snack. Then, a larger hand reached out and grabbed it, handing it to the boy. Lloyd looked up at his father and smiled warmly, thanking him and starting to eat.

"So, can anyone explain how this happened?" asked Kratos, handing his son another cookie.

"Well, we know just as much as you," replied Raine truthfully. "He went missing in the middle of the night and Zelos had gone to go look for him, waking us up in the process. Then we heard a piercing scream and we found Lloyd like this in the middle of a clearing, alone."

Kratos sighed, thinking of what could have happened. He then spotted Lloyd reaching for a third cookie and brought his hand back.

"That's enough sugar for you," he explained.

"But I'm hungry Daddy," pleaded his son.

"It's true Kratos," agreed Zelos. "He ran away early this morning and he hasn't eaten since last night."

"Then something healthy, no more sugar," repeated Kratos, leaving his son at the table and heading towards the kitchen for some food.

Once he returned, there was an apple on a plate with a knife. Kratos placed the plate on the table and took the two other items. He started to peel the apple and then cut it into pieces, placing them on the plate for his son to eat.

"What Kratos, no tomatoes?" joked Yuan as they watched him.

"Don't start," he ordered, pointing the knife in his friend's direction.

"You know," began Colette happily, "I never knew Mister Kratos could be such a good father!"

"He really does fit the part," added Sheena, smiling. "We're you like this when Lloyd was this age as well?"

Kratos stared at the group, realizing that they had never seen him this concerned about his son. They had never seen him have such a parental complex and it surprised them. The swordsman, however, was just slightly embarrassed by the whole situation. He looked down at his son who was quickly eating the remainder of the apple happily, unconcerned by the discussion about him going on.

"Yes, actually," replied Kratos after a moment. "Anna needed a break once and a while as well when raising him."

"Aw, that's sweet!" exclaimed Colette, making the others laugh quietly.

"Anyway, what happened when he ran away?" asked Kratos, trying to turn the tables back to the group.

"Well, I'm the one who found him. I didn't realize it was him until I killed the monsters," explained Yuan. "It was a bit awkward though. I did not know how to react to him crying."

"I could imagine," muttered Sheena, making the others laugh.

"Then I met up with Raine and Zelos," continued the half elf, ignoring the comment. "And we had to fight off a group of bandits afterwards."

"And is that where he got his booboos?" asked Kratos to is son who had finished eating.

"Yup! Because he stopped a bad guy from hitting me. Then Uncle Zelos picked me up and fought off the other bad guys just like you do!"

"That's good to hear," answered Kratos with a smile.

"And then we came here since he really wanted to see you," finished Colette, looking over at the child.

"Daddy?" called Lloyd after a moment.

"What is it Lloyd?" he asked, looking down at the boy.

"I'm tired."

Kratos nodded and easily picked the boy up. However, it took him a while to actually stand up since he was still recovering from his fight and his loss of mana. Yuan, who was sitting next to him, helped him up by offering support and Kratos made his way upstairs, Lloyd dozing off in his arms.

Once Kratos was upstairs, his son still in his arms, he slowly made his way towards the only bed in the room. He gently placed the three year old underneath the covers. He pulled them over Lloyd and kissed him on the forehead, ruffling his hair softly.

"Sleep well Lloyd," he whispered as he headed back downstairs to the others.

"Night Daddy," called the boy softly, turning over in his sleep.

Kratos smiled and took one last look at the sleeping form in the bed. As he slowly descended the stairs, his memory played games on me. He remembered when he used to travel from city to city, village to village, with Anna, his wife and Lloyd.

It occurred to Kratos how much he missed those times and he cursed the Desians for having taken that away from him. They took away the love of his life, his wife, by turning her into a monster. Then, they stole the next 14 years of a life he could have spent watching his son grow up, spending them with him. _But time cannot be turned back,_ he thought as he joined the rest of the group at the table. _Lloyd cannot stay in that form. He will have to turn back into a 17 year old one day._

"So, we still have to find out what caused this transformation," stated Raine, returning to the former discussion.

"Well, that –"

There was a piercing yell from upstairs, chilling most of them to the bone. However, most of them recognized the voice as Lloyd's and jumped from their seats. Kratos' heart raced the moment he heard the scream and he was the first one standing and the first at the stairs. _No… No… NO!_ he thought as he raced up the upstairs, his body protesting greatly from the added strain.

Once he reached the second floor, he dropped to his knees, his breathing heavy. Without taking the time to catch his breath, he looked around and gasped.

"No…," he whispered, shaking his head.

The covers of the bed where Lloyd used to lie were thrown aside. The large window was open wide, the curtains blowing in the wind. The others were now in the room and they were just as shocked to find Lloyd missing. The wind tossed Kratos' hair around as he stared at where his son used to be.

Then, a single, transparent blue-purple feather floated towards the group. Kratos picked it up and stared at it, anger boiling inside of him. He clenched the feather tightly, gritting his teeth. _That bastard… THAT BASTARD TOOK MY SON!_

"MITHOS!" he yelled out furiously to the heavens.

* * *

_Author's Note: No! Lloyd! Well, you will find out what happens next chapter but, I will only post it if you review! And if you do, you can get a **Kratos** plushie! Who doesn't want one?_


	6. Chapter 5: Descisions

_Author's Note: Here is the next chapter! Yay! We will find out what happened to Lloyd in this one! _

_**Disclaimers:** I do not own Tales of Symphonia_

**Enjoy!**

**Descisions**

Kratos breathed hard, the feather clutched tightly in his hand. _That bastard… He must have done this. He must have turned my son into a three year old,_ he thought, slowly getting up. He turned around and observed the others behind him.

Zelos, Raine and Yuan all had a look that could kill. They were surely past angry at this point – they were outright furious. Colette and Sheena were both worried, the younger one more than anyone else. As for Presea and Regal, their emotions were hidden but Kratos was sure they were also affected by Lloyd's kidnapping.

"So, if Mithos took him," started Sheena, trying to calm down, "then he surely took him to Derris Karlan."

"But the Tower is destroyed!" cried Colette, panicking. "How will we get to him!"

"There is a way," cut in Yuan softly, looking at Kratos. "But if you have enough energy is a different story."

"I will have enough," replied Kratos firmly. "I have to go save my son."

"All right, and we'll help," agreed Yuan, looking at the others. "Zelos, do you know how to use your wings to travel from one place to another instantly?"

"I've tried it several times, yes," replied the red head, cooling down slightly. "But why…? Oh. I guess we can do that."

"Good, now since there are five of you, Zelos and I will take two and Kratos will take the remaining one," explained Yuan before turning to his friend. "You'll use up too much of the little energy you have left."

"Fine, we just need to get to Derris Karlan," replied Kratos, growing impatient.

"Right, Presea, go with Kratos. Sheena and Colette, go with Zelos; Regal and Raine, both of you will come with me," explained Yuan.

"Don't you dare do anything funny," growled Sheena as she held on to the red head's arm.

"Sheena, this is not the time for that," replied Zelos, growing annoyed by how they did not seem to trust him as much as Lloyd did.

She did not reply but the red head's tone stung deeply. The others grabbed hold of the three angels' arms, wondering how it would feel to travel as they did. The three men closed their eyes, concentrating. Light surrounded them and their wings sprouted from their backs. Zelos' wings went from a light orange to a darker one at the tips. Yuan's were dark purple, ending with a lighter color. Finally, Kratos' wings, on the other hand, were variant hues of blue.

The angels looked at each other and nodded. They closed their eyes and Sheena, Presea, Colette, Raine and Regal took a deep breath, preparing themselves for travel. A bright white light surrounded them and within seconds, the group vanished.

Once they opened their eyes, they were no longer in Dirk's house. The sky around them was a dark swirl of purple clouds, no light source in sight. They had landed in the furthest area of Derris Karlan. Kratos' knees shook at first but Presea steadied him with her great strength.

"Now, let's go save Lloyd!" cried Colette quickly, already making her way towards the transporter.

However, as they neared it, they spotted a figure curled on the floor. They cautiously approached wondering who it was. Raine, on the other hand, figured it out and left the group, running towards the figure.

"Genis!" she cried, kneeling next to her brother.

The young half-elf slowly opened his eyes, blinking. He looked around and spotted his older sister next to him and then his friends arriving next to her. However, tears started to fill his eyes as he stared at his friends, lingering on Kratos longer.

"I'm sorry…, Lloyd…, I couldn't stop Mithos…," whispered the boy, tears falling down.

"Don't worry Genis," replied Raine softly. "We will get him back, I'm sure of it."

Genis nodded slowly, wiping his tears away. His sister helped him stand as they headed towards the transporter. Colette and Raine tried to comfort the young half-elf as they walked through the angel city. However, Genis tried to show them that he was not the person to be worried about.

"Lloyd needs our help now," he finally stated, taking the lead of the group.

Raine and Colette both let the young boy be because they realized he must feel horribly guilty for letting Mithos take control of his body and letting him harm his best friend. Halfway through the city, Kratos pulled Genis a little further away from the group, wanting to talk to him.

"Genis," he started, taking a deep breath. "Just so you know, none of us blame you for what happened to Lloyd. This is no reason for you to beat yourself up about it."

Genis did not look up as they continued to walk down the city's streets. Kratos placed a hand on the boy's shoulder, making him stop. The half-elf looked up at the mercenary, their eyes locked.

"Believe me Genis," he repeated. "This is not your fault. We will get Lloyd back safe and sound. And you will help, no?"

"Yes," he replied softly, nodding towards the mercenary.

"That's good," finished Kratos as they caught up with the group.

The group reached the last transporter and they quickly took it, Genis and Kratos both eagerly taking the lead. Once they were all in the next area, the group eyed their surroundings, watching for anything dangerous. Yuan and Kratos, however, seeing as they both knew the area well, headed straight for the large double doors. The rest of the group followed quickly, wanting to rescue their friend as soon as possible.

The two older men burst through the double doors, wanting to reach Lloyd as soon as possible. They ran towards the end of the platform where a last teleportation pad was placed. The group quickly took it and they were brought to a higher level of that room.

"MITHOS!" yelled Kratos, spotting the angel hovering over the ground in front of them.

"Yes Kratos, what may I do for you?" asked the angel, a sly smile on his face.

"Where is he?" he growled, his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"Where is who?" continued Mithos, unfazed by his former companion's anger.

"MITHOS, DON'T TOY WITH ME!" he yelled, pulling out his sword. "WHERE IS LLOYD?"

"Oh, you mean this little lump," replied Mithos, pointing a finger to his right, raising it slightly.

"Lloyd…," gasped Genis.

The small boy was bound, thick ropes tied around his body. As Mithos raised his hand, the boy also floated off the floor, his head hanging down. From the look of it, Lloyd seemed unconscious. Kratos' grip on his sword tightened as he stared at his son and then at Mithos.

"By the look on your face, I believe this is what you're talking about," laughed the angel, twirling his hand.

Lloyd's small body moved around in the air, threatening to hit one of the fallen walls or to fall off the cliff. The group grew tense, knowing that Mithos now held Lloyd's life in his hands, literally.

"Release him at once," ordered Kratos, glaring at the angel.

"How about, no?" replied Mithos, smiling, bringing Lloyd towards him. "I have a better suggestion."

Lloyd's body floated towards the angel, still unconscious. Mithos grabbed onto the thick rope, holding on to the boy by the back, making his small, scared face look towards the group.

"Seeing as I no longer seem to be able to control my sword since the pact with Origin was replaced, I have a proposition to make," started Mithos, looking at the group, a sly smile on his lips.

"Like we would listen to you!" growled Raine, gripping her staff tightly.

"Maybe you should," cut in Mithos, frowning. "Because I will only say this once."

The angel shook the small boy in his hand. The constant movement finally woke Lloyd up. He groaned softly, slowly opening his eyes. He blinked a couple of times and turned his head, looking around. His large chocolate colored eyes fell upon the group and they widened extremely.

"DADDY!" he yelled, wanting to reach him.

As Lloyd tried to make his way to the others, he noticed a few things. One, he was not on the ground. Two, he could not move his arms. Three, he could not get to his father. He wiggled even more, desperate to reach the group.

Mithos stared at the boy as he continued to move around, the thick rope cutting into his small body. The angel laughed at the vain actions of his prisoner. Lloyd's eyes started to fill up with tears as he slowly stopped wiggling. He hung in the air, his head down, his hair covering his face.

"Daddy…," he whispered, sniffling.

"Isn't that adorable," laughed Mithos, shaking the boy even more. "It makes me sick."

Lloyd yelled out as the ropes cut deeper into his skins, tearing his shirt. Mithos laughed even more, making Kratos growl in anger. He wanted to go help his son but, before he took one step, he stopped dead in his tracks.

Mithos had noticed that the group would head up to help the boy so he took the necessary precautions. A dagger materialized in his other hand and he brought it up towards Lloyd's neck. The boy saw the blade and whimpered, more tears falling down. He looked up at Yuan, Zelos and then his father.

"Please help…," he whispered softly. "Uncle Yuan… Uncle Zelos… Daddy… Please… Please help me…"

"Uncle? Since when does this kid have uncles? He barely had a father," stated Mithos, eyeing his former companion.

"Shut up," growled Kratos, his anger flaring.

"Why? I'm just stating the truth," laughed the angel, keeping the dagger at the boy's neck.

"Release him now Mithos," ordered Yuan, glaring at the enemy.

"Don't you dare hurt Lloyd," threatened Zelos as he took a spot near Kratos and Yuan in the front of the group.

"Now you're not in any position to be making any threats at all," replied Mithos sharply. "You are going to listen to me," he continued, pushing the dagger closer to the boy's neck.

"Mithos…," growled Kratos but the angel cut him off.

"Break the pact with Origin or Lloyd dies."

* * *

_Author's Note: **EXPLANATIONS** IN THE NEXT CHAPTER! Please don't tell me you don't get why Mithos did this, please be patient! Please! If you have anything else to say, you may review and you can get a **Young Lloyd**_ _plushie! Who wants one?_


	7. Chapter 6: Innocence Stays, No Matter Wh

_Author's Note: I am sad to say that... this... is the last chapter... the conclusion... I will miss writting this story!_

_**Disclaimers:** I do not own Tales of Symphonia_

_Enjoy!_

**Chapter Six**

**Innocence Stays, No Matter What**

"Break the pact with Origin or Lloyd dies."

"Don't you dare touch my son, Mithos!" yelled Kratos, his hand shaking.

Raine glared at the angel, knowing why he would wish the pact broken. _If Lloyd no longer has the power to use the Eternal Sword, we can no longer reach Mithos on Derris Karlan nor can we reunite the worlds,_ she realized, gripping her staff tighter. _It's just for insurance that he transformed Lloyd into a three year old; he wanted to make sure we would comply and that Lloyd would not be able to convince us otherwise._

"I won't harm your son if you cancel your pact with Origin this instant," repeated the angel, moving the dagger even closer. "And I mean this instant."

Mithos nodded slightly, looking over the group, into the dark purple sky of his palace. Before the group could even turn around to see what in the world was going to happen, the angels' hearing picked up a sound which froze all of them. What they had heard were quick whistling sounds.

"No!" yelled Colette, realizing where they were headed.

Before anyone could react, an arrow imbedded itself deep into Kratos' lower shoulder. He yelled out in pain, dropping his sword. He fell to his knees, unable to even reach the projectile. Another one hit Yuan on his upper right arm. He gritted his teeth but he did not have enough strength to hold his double ended staff and it fell to the floor. They final arrow headed towards Zelos. It embedded itself deep into the back of his leg making the man yell out. He fell forward, trying not to bend to leg which had been hit.

"Daddy! Uncle Yuan! Uncle Zelos!" cried out Lloyd, tears falling freely, worried about the three men.

The others were going to run towards their fallen friends; Raine and Regal both ready to heal them. However, Mithos was not going to let them.

"Take one more step and I cut Lloyd's throat," he threatened.

"Bastard," growled Yuan, gripping his bleeding arm.

"Now Yuan, you know Martel never liked it when you cursed," teased Mithos, smirking at his former companion.

"Leave her out of this," he snapped, his anger rising. "You have no right to speak of her and mention what she said. You've twisted her words enough as it is."

"Don't you dare speak of my sister like that!" yelled Mithos, his anger raising.

He removed the dagger from Lloyd's neck and pointed towards the older half-elf. A beam of light shot towards him and hit Yuan in the chest before he had the time to dodge. He was sent flying backwards skidding towards the edge of the platform, stopping inches from it.

"Uncle Yuan!" cried Lloyd, struggling against the thick ropes.

"If you want to go help him and the kid," started Mithos, replacing the dagger at the base of the boy's neck, "you better break the pact with Origin."

"Leave him alone," whispered Kratos angrily, glaring at the angel.

"You are not in any position to give orders," snarled Mithos, motioning towards the angels still hovering behind the group, arrows still aimed at them. "Now, I would hurry up with an answer before I become impatient and more people are injured."

None of them moved, all of them glaring at the angel. Raine glanced occasionally back towards where Yuan had landed. She began to worry about him because he still had not moved since he was attacked. Mithos frowned, figuring the group was not going to cooperate. He glanced up and the angels nodded. The prepared their arrows and Lloyd's eyes went wide.

"NO!" he cried out loudly, warning the others.

When the arrows were shot, the group was ready to block. Those in the back set up barriers, the projectiles bouncing off them. The one headed towards Yuan missed its target as the half-elf turned to the side, the arrow sinking into the ground behind him. He groaned as he tried to get up, his arms shaking under his weight.

As for the ones heading towards Kratos and Zelos, the first one was blocked by the red head who held out his hand. The arrow shot through his hand and Zelos yelled out, blood dripping onto Kratos' back where the projectile would have hit. As for the one heading towards the red head, Sheena threw one of her cards towards it, cutting it down before it could reach her friend.

Mithos growled, seeing as his plan was slowly failing. He glared at the small boy still tied up in his hands. He brought the dagger down, cutting at Lloyd's shoulder deeply. The boy yelled out loudly, crying.

"That's what happens when you go against me," he snarled, bringing the dagger towards Lloyd's other shoulder.

"Daddy… Daddy!" yelled the small boy, his injury hurting him immensely.

"You're out numbered Mithos," stated Kratos, picking up his sword. "And if you dare hurt my son again I'll-"

"You'll what Kratos?" cut in the angel. "You'll attack me? You're not even strong enough to stand by yourself."

"Daddy!"

"And I think the only people who could have helped you are unable to," continued the angel, ignoring the boy's please. "Two of them can barely move and the third is a helpless three year old."

"Daddy!"

"Well Kratos, will you consider breaking the pact with Origin?"

"Daddy!"

"Shut up!" yelled Mithos, hitting the boy with his fist on the side of the head. "That's enough from you."

"Mithos!" growled Kratos, furious.

Lloyd closed his eyes tightly, tears pouring down his face. Not only did his shoulder hurt but now, the side of his head kept throbbing. Zelos' heart clenched at the sight of the young boy, hurt. However, he knew there was not much he could do, not with an arrow in the back of his leg and embedded in his hand.

"Now, my patience is at its end Kratos," snarled Mithos, holding up Lloyd. "Break the pact or your son joins his mother."

"Daddy!"

"One," started the angel, bringing the dagger up.

"Mithos… no…," gasped Kratos, his grip on his sword tightening.

"Daddy!"

"Two."

"Mithos," whispered the swordsman.

"Daddy!"

"Three."

"NO!" yelled Kratos, quickly getting up.

"Da…!"

Mithos was about to pass the dagger across Lloyd's neck but a bright, white light erupted from the boy's small body. They all stared in shock; all wondering what in the world was going on. The angel felt the thick ropes strain, astonished.

"Dad!"

The bright light faded and what headed towards the group was no longer a small, three year old boy: it was Lloyd, back in his seventeen year old body. As he ran towards the group, a small blue-green light showed on his back. They stared in surprise as a set of wings shot out from his back, the same color as the light. He reached Kratos first, holding on to him tightly, his eyes filling with tears once again. His wings started to cover his friends and a light surrounded the group, even Yuan who had managed to get closer.

Mithos stared in shock at the events, the dagger dropping from his hand. _No… This is impossible… How did he break the spell? How?_ He thought, unable to understand what in the world had happened. _And what is happening now? _Before he could do anything, the light grew brighter and Mithos understood what Lloyd was going to do.

"NO!" he yelled, flying towards the group.

However, before he could even get close, the light grew too bright and vanished in an instant, the group gone as well. Mithos stopped in mid air, staring at the spot where his enemies used to be. He growled in frustration, his fists shaking at his sides.

"Damn it! I'll get you! I'll get you Lloyd!"



A bright light flashed in front of Dirk's house, alerting the dwarf inside that something was happening. He pulled out his large hammer and slowly opened the door. When the light died down, a large group was now standing in front of the home. In front of them stood both Kratos and Lloyd, the younger of the two leaning dangerously onto his father. His large, blue-green wings were growing smaller, moving away from his friends as he slowly lost consciousness.

"Lloyd… Lloyd!" called Kratos, unable to hold his son up as both of them slowly fell to the floor.

"Well, I see you got him back," stated Dirk, startling the group. "But four of you do not look that sharp. Let's get inside."

Regal moved next to Kratos and helped him stand, making sure he did not touch the large wound on his back. Meanwhile, Raine had moved to help Yuan stand, letting him lean on her as she led him inside the house. As for Zelos, who was still on the ground because of the arrow in his leg, he was struggling to get up. He almost fell back down when he felt a pair of hands grab underneath his arms, holding him up. He looked back and saw Sheena helping him, draping his arm around her shoulder so they could go inside. Finally, Colette knelt next to Lloyd and easily lifted him up, Genis helping on the other side.

"We got him back," whispered Colette happily.

"He's safe now," added Genis, smiling as he looked up at his best friend.



Lloyd groaned, slowly opening his eyes. His vision was blurry as he stared at something, something he still could not make out. _What happened? _He thought, unable to remember anything. He blinked a couple of times, groaning once again. However, the sound seemed to alert whatever he was looking at.

"Lloyd?"

He slowly sat up and rubbed his eyes, his vision finally clearing. What he was looking had actually been a lump of auburn hair which had been lying on the side of the bed, Kratos' hair.

"Dad?" whispered Lloyd, still a little in pain.

"You're finally awake," he sighed, relief audible in his voice. "Do you remember anything?"

Lloyd looked at his father, into his dark red eyes. Suddenly, images from the previous days passed through his mind. One of them that he remembered Kratos had been shot by an arrow. Lloyd quickly tossed away the covers and approached his father, slowly reaching for the back of his shoulder.

"Is it better?" he asked softly, worry in his eyes.

"Yes it is," replied Kratos with a smile. "Raine healed it while you were unconscious."

"How did that happen?" asked Lloyd, that part of his memory still foggy.

"Well, it will come back soon enough," explained his father, pushing himself to a standing position with difficulty.

"Let me help you," quickly suggested the son, jumping off the bed and supporting the man.

"Thank you."

Lloyd nodded as they both made their way towards the stairs. The boy had realized after his talk with his father that he had been sleeping in his own bed at his adoptive father's home. _How did we get here?_ He thought, still confused. However, they were not able to actually reach the stairs when two people made their way into the room.

"Lloyd! You're awake!" cheered Colette happily, rushing to her friend as Kratos slowly let go of his son.

Lloyd smiled broadly as they approached, Colette hugging him tightly before releasing him, taking a step back. However, as he looked into the girl's sky blue eyes, more memories passed through his head. One of the memories was him, turning away from her when she was trying to help. Colette noticed his surprised, then saddened face and became worried.

"Lloyd? Is everything all right?" she asked, close to him.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, coming back to reality. "I'm sorry…"

"For what?" she asked, confused.

"I… I pushed you away when you were trying to help," he explained, the scene passing through his mind again.

"What… Oh, it doesn't matter Lloyd," she replied, smiling broadly. "And it's strange that you remember that to begin with!"

"Uh?"

Lloyd was confused as he stared at Colette, not understanding what she meant about that comment. However, he did not have time to ponder over it when he spotted the other, smaller person behind Colette: Genis. In addition, as it had happened with Kratos and Colette, memories came back to him. He remembered seeing Genis controlled by Mithos and then how he was released, thrown to the side afterwards.

"Genis," he whispered softly, pitying his best friend.

"Lloyd, I'm sorry," cut in the half-elf. "This is all my fault. I could not stop Mithos from controlling me."

"No Genis," interrupted Lloyd, looking down at him. "This is all Mithos' fault. You didn't do anything wrong, nothing at all. Believe me, okay? I'm just happy you're back, safe and sound!"

Genis looked up at his friend and his large, sincere grin. The half-elf smiled back, relieve to have the weight removed from his shoulders. As he smiled at the older boy, he was extremely glad to have a friend like Lloyd.

"Lloyd! You're awake!" laughed Sheena as she came upstairs as well as Regal and Presea.

Lloyd looked up at all of them though, at the last minute, recalled what would happen. However, it was too late. As he looked into Sheena's light brown eyes, Regal's dark blue eyes and Presea's light blue eyes, memories struck him.

"Why was I pushing all of you away? Like I was sacred or something?" he mumbled, still caught in the memories.

"He doesn't seem to remember much, does he?" wondered Sheena, looking at Colette, Genis and Kratos who all shook their heads.

"But what happened?" asked Lloyd, confused. "I only remember bits and pieces and none of them are making any sense right now."

"Well, you seem to recall a bit each time you see someone," realized Kratos, thinking. "Maybe if you see everyone, you'll remember."

"His memory is failing him again?" affirmed Raine as she also made her way upstairs.

"What do you mean again, Professor?" called Lloyd, even more puzzled. "I know I can't memorize the information in class but that's different!"

"That's not exactly what I meant," laughed the half-elf, shaking her head.

"Wait… What's going on?" asked Lloyd, looking at her. "You usually get mad at me when I mention how bad I was in school…"

Raine shook her head, smiling. _What in the world happened?_ He thought, staring at each of them. His gaze then fell on the Professor's silver-blue eyes. Another wave of memories came back, striking him once again. However, unlike the images he saw with the others, he saw him hugging the half-elf. He blinked a couple of times, clearing his head.

"Okay, now I really want to know what happened," stated Lloyd, really wanting to figure out what had occurred during the past few days. "Why is it that I remember my Dad getting hurt, pushing away Colette, Sheena, Regal and Presea, seeing Genis being trapped by Mithos and me… hugging the Professor?"

"You hugged her?" repeated Sheena, surprised. "Now that I picture it, it would have been really cute to see."

"What do you mean cute?" cried Lloyd, becoming red. "Now I've passed confused to utterly lost! Can someone please explain?" he pleaded, looking at each of them.

"AW!" cried Colette, seeing his face. "He still has the same expression! It's adorable!"

"Yes, it is," agreed Sheena, laughing with the others.

"This isn't funny!" cried Lloyd desperately.

He stared at each of them as they continued to giggle. However, he did not see what in the world was funny with the situation. _Damn it all, can't someone explain?_ He thought, growing impatient. _I know, Zelos could probably tell me!_ He realized since he did not spot the red head upstairs. He quickly descended the stairs, the others wondering where he was headed.

Once Lloyd reached the main floor, he looked around, searching for signs of his friend. However, he did not only find Zelos seated at the small table but Yuan as well.

"Buddy! You're finally awake!" cheered the red head, slowly standing.

"Yes, I'm glad everyone realized that," laughed Lloyd. "What are you doing here Yuan?"

The half-elf was slightly surprised at first, as was Zelos. However, Yuan shrugged, dismissing the small pain he felt from those words.

"You don't remember anything, do you?" he asked, shaking his head.

"Only bits and pieces but no one wants to explain what in the world happened," replied Lloyd, sighing as he looked at his friend.

However, he remembered at the last minute the recurring effect it seemed to have on him as he gazed into Zelos' green eyes. More images then the other times crossed his mind. At first, he recalled avoiding the red head but then, he seemed extremely close to him. Once the images stopped, Lloyd swayed slightly, more confused than before.

"Lloyd! Buddy! Are you all right?" cried Zelos, holding his friend up.

"Ugh… That keeps happening…," he groaned, swaying even more.

Though, before he could fall, another pair of hands grabbed him, holding him up. Lloyd turned to see who it was and was shocked to see it was Yuan. As it happened with the others, memories flooded back. This time, not only did he see scenes where the half-elf helped him but all the memories came together. At that moment, he remembered what had happened: he had changed into a three year old.

"WHAT?" he yelled, shocked, his legs giving out.

Since both Yuan and Zelos were still recovering, they did not have enough strength to support Lloyd when he suddenly dropped to the floor and they fell with him as well. The group upstairs, having heard the yell, rushed downstairs. However, they were relieved to see that Lloyd was still there with Zelos and Yuan.

"What happened?" asked Colette, helping them sit up.

"I… I remember what happened…," explained Lloyd softly, still in shock. "I was… I was three years old again…"

"An adorable three year old though," commented Sheena, laughing. "Even if you didn't trust or remember us at first."

"And… And I remember…," started Lloyd before becoming red in embarrassment. "I really did call these two 'Uncle', didn't I?"

"Yes you did," laughed Raine, "and you looked very cute in their arms as well."

"That's enough Raine," sighed Yuan, also embarrassed by the situation.

"I'm sorry for all the trouble though," whispered Lloyd, looking at each of them.

The group shook their head, realizing that the swordsman would never figure out that it was not his fault. They left him, letting him recover and also not wanting to mention the wings they saw and which he did not seem to remember. This left Yuan, Zelos and Lloyd in the house since the rest had gone outside except for Kratos who had gone upstairs, wanting to rest.

"Thanks, both of you, I really mean it," whispered Lloyd after a while, referring to the two 'uncles'.

"Don't mention it," replied Yuan, heading towards the door. "But I have to go now. Oh… and Lloyd," started the half-elf, looking back at the young man, "good luck."

"Thanks Yuan," he answered with a smile as the half-elf left.

"Hey Lloyd," called Zelos, getting his friend's attention. "Remember what I told you about an Uncle?"

"Yes," replied Lloyd, nodding, recalling the exact words Zelos had told him when he was in his arms, as a three year old.

"It still counts," continued the red head. "I will still protect you. You're my best friend."

"And I'll protect you Zelos," replied Lloyd nodding. "You can count on that!"

Lloyd smiled broadly. Zelos looked at his friend and smiled back, lifting his fist. The brunette chuckled, bringing his fist up as well, knocking it into the red head's.

"Now let's go beat the crap out of Mithos," declared Lloyd, jumping up. "All of us together!"

"Count me in!" agreed Zelos, standing next to his friend.

"Be careful Lloyd."

The brunette turned around and saw his father at the bottom of the staircase. He smiled, giving him a 'thumbs up'.

"You know I always am," replied Lloyd, smiling.

Kratos chuckled as he watched Lloyd and Zelos head towards the door. _He has grown up since we met. And I'm proud of what he has become, _he thought smiling. _Anna, if you're watching, I'm sure you'd agree with me._ _Be safe my son and come back home._ Kratos watched as Lloyd opened the door, letting the bright sunlight inside the house. The brunette turned around and smiled broadly towards his father before leaving with Zelos, determined to defeat Mithos and bring peace to the corrupted world.

* * *

_Author's Note: Thanks to all my readers who stayed until the end! I will all of you! great big hug When you review, you will get the group package, including all the other plsuhies with different costumes! (expcept for Yuan... he sadly only had one outfit. You can imagine what else he could wear!)_


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